​(Santa Ana, CA)—Rancho Santiago Community College District (RSCCD) has appointed 19-year-old Yorba Linda resident Esther Chian as the student representative on its Board of Trustees for 2016-2017.

Chian, a second-year business administration major at Santiago Canyon College (SCC) with a 4.0 Grade Point Average, is currently working on finishing coursework for her associate degree. Next fall, she plans on transferring to a four-year university. She has set her sights on UC Berkeley Haas School of Business. Other possibilities include the University of Chicago and Stanford University. One career pathway that Chian is considering is working for a Big Four accounting firm, attaining her CPA (certified public accountant) licensure, and later pursuing an MBA.

“Both of my parents run their own businesses, so I naturally received a lot of exposure to the inner workings of the business world. Years of such exposure eventually led me to decide that business administration is the pathway for me,” says Chian.

At Troy High School, in addition to being on the Principal’s Honor Roll, she participated in the California Association of Student Councils as its secretary and delegate. She also served as a Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps cadet, a volunteer for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, and a member of the Future Business Leaders of America. She also competed on the cross country/track and field team in women’s shot put.

At Santiago Canyon College, Chian is a member of the Honors Program and Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society of two-year colleges and academic programs. In fall 2015, she joined the SCC Associated Student Government (ASG). Chian served as the ASG Senator of Enrollment in 2015-2016 and was elected as the ASG president in summer 2016. She will continue as ASG president concurrently with her new role as RSCCD student trustee.

Chian participated as a member of SCC’s Model United Nations (MUN) team and accompanied the team to the MUN conference in New York City in March 2016. She supported the team in winning the Distinguished Delegation Award. She says that she attributes much of her professional, diplomatic, and speaking skills to her MUN experience. In addition to MUN, she has enjoyed participating as an ex-officio member of SCC’s Ultimate Frisbee Club.

Outside of her studies and on-campus activities, Chian works as an accounts receivable clerk at Martin Commercial Group. Previously, she served as personal assistant to the CEO of Gideer Technologies Co. Chian has also served as a private tutor for elementary aged students helping native Chinese-speaking students develop their English speaking, reading and writing skills. Chian is fluent in Mandarin and speaks conversational Japanese. In addition, she is classically trained in piano and violin. She also finds time in the mornings to train for marathons.

Now, she is looking forward to her work as RSCCD student trustee. “I hope to serve both Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College equitably and fairly, making sure that all student voices are heard and represented. I want to affect whatever beneficial change that I can within the short time that I will be student trustee,” says Chian.

According to Chian, a common issue that many community college students face is financial insecurity. She says that being unable to perform in school due to financial insecurity causes many students to lose sight of their academic goals. College districts must do their best to mitigate this issue for the betterment of their students.

“I hope to do my part in addressing this issue during my term as a student trustee,” Chian says.

The RSCCD student trustee is recognized as a full member at Board of Trustees meetings and can participate in discussion of issues with the privilege of an advisory vote.

About Rancho Santiago Community College District
Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College are public community colleges of the Rancho Santiago Community College District, which serves the residents of Anaheim Hills, Orange, Santa Ana, Villa Park, and portions of Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, and Tustin.. Both colleges provide education for academic transfer and careers, courses for personal and professional development, and customized training for business and industry.

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